US20230225448A1 - Power Generating and Gait Assisting Footwear Article - Google Patents
Power Generating and Gait Assisting Footwear Article Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20230225448A1 US20230225448A1 US17/648,197 US202217648197A US2023225448A1 US 20230225448 A1 US20230225448 A1 US 20230225448A1 US 202217648197 A US202217648197 A US 202217648197A US 2023225448 A1 US2023225448 A1 US 2023225448A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- article
- sleeve
- footwear
- guided
- gears
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 230000005021 gait Effects 0.000 title claims abstract description 25
- 230000033001 locomotion Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 39
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 27
- 230000001133 acceleration Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 22
- 238000004146 energy storage Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 19
- 239000011796 hollow space material Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- 238000003306 harvesting Methods 0.000 claims description 11
- 230000035939 shock Effects 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000003993 interaction Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000000314 lubricant Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000001131 transforming effect Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 abstract description 11
- 210000002027 skeletal muscle Anatomy 0.000 description 6
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 4
- 210000003205 muscle Anatomy 0.000 description 4
- 210000000544 articulatio talocruralis Anatomy 0.000 description 3
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000013013 elastic material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 210000002683 foot Anatomy 0.000 description 3
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000003990 capacitor Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000003562 lightweight material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000010248 power generation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000007779 soft material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000010146 3D printing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 241001124569 Lycaenidae Species 0.000 description 1
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000004676 acrylonitrile butadiene styrene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000004913 activation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007792 addition Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000003423 ankle Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 1
- 244000309466 calf Species 0.000 description 1
- 230000008602 contraction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003292 diminished effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005288 electromagnetic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005284 excitation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000003414 extremity Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000011888 foil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004519 grease Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000006872 improvement Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010348 incorporation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000010354 integration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000001503 joint Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002503 metabolic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000011056 performance test Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000006467 substitution reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 210000002435 tendon Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000009466 transformation Effects 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
- A43B3/34—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use with electrical or electronic arrangements
- A43B3/38—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use with electrical or electronic arrangements with power sources
- A43B3/42—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use with electrical or electronic arrangements with power sources where power is generated by conversion of mechanical movement to electricity, e.g. by piezoelectric means
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
- A43B7/32—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with shock-absorbing means
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
- A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
- A43B13/18—Resilient soles
- A43B13/181—Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
- A43B13/182—Helicoidal springs
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02K—DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
- H02K7/00—Arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with dynamo-electric machines, e.g. structural association with mechanical driving motors or auxiliary dynamo-electric machines
- H02K7/18—Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g. with turbines
- H02K7/1807—Rotary generators
- H02K7/1853—Rotary generators driven by intermittent forces
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02N—ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H02N2/00—Electric machines in general using piezoelectric effect, electrostriction or magnetostriction
- H02N2/18—Electric machines in general using piezoelectric effect, electrostriction or magnetostriction producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators
- H02N2/186—Vibration harvesters
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an integrated device for footwear article to generate power while having gait assisting function.
- some major energy conversion mechanisms include utilizing electromagnetic, triboelectric and/or piezoelectric effect(s) of human locomotion during walking.
- U.S. Pat. No. 8,970,054 provided an electromagnetic energy harvester with a displacement-amplified mechanism to harvest and also increase the power generated by an electric generator configured to be driven by a downward movement of a heel plate during a heel strike phase of walking.
- U.S. Pat. No. 8,716,877 provided a generator module having at least an elastic generator affixed to the leg shank of a wearer to harvest the energy generated from ankle joint motion. This device is limited by the ankle joint motion of the wearer in terms of change in angular motion of the ankle joint. From a different perspective, the generator affixed to the wearer limits the ankle motion and/or affects the comfort of the wearer.
- U.S. Pat. No. 9,057,361 provided a biomechanical energy harvester for harnessing energy from the motion of one or more joints with an electromagnetic effect.
- Several sensors were coupled in that harvester to serve as a clutch for determining the mutualistic and non-mutualistic conditions.
- Fan et al. (2017) provided a shoe-mounted piezoelectric energy harvester having a rotor combined with a bimorph PZT cantilever beam, and permanent magnets being attached at the free ends of the beam to harness the kinetic energy associated with foot strike motions, where the bimorphs were excited by movements of a steel ball coupled to the beam along its sleeve during the foot strike motions.
- US 2006/0021261 provided a piezoelectric energy harvester within a cavity of a sole member which captures the power generated from the deformation of a curved bimorph during a touchdown moment.
- Gait assisting is another element that many people would like to have in their footwear.
- a lot of wearable exoskeletons or exosuits have been recently developed with both energy harvesting and gait assisting functions, which can be generally divided into passive (for example, in US 2013/0281895, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,053,914 and 7,956,476) and active (for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,326,312, 9,918,515 and 11,044,968) mechanisms.
- U.S. Pat. No. 9,282,783 provided gait assisting shoes that can utilize parallel function of the Achilles' tendons through an integration of force-carrying mechanisms to manage forces and energies associated with dorsiflexion and plantar flexion; a sandal-like sole made of a resilient, elastic, springy material was provided in U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,358, which aids in the natural walking action by alternately compressing and releasing, adding energy to the step, thereby aiding walking while wearing ski boots; a similar design was employed in a walking support of a boot in US 2011/0302808, where soft materials were used to enhance wearer's comfort.
- a simple, lightweight, and integrated walking assistive device for improving energy economy, shock absorption, wearing comfort of an article of footwear while maintaining normal gait pattern during human locomotion.
- the prevent invention provides a device including:
- a motion conversion module including an impact force absorbing and resilient member; and one or more guided members being attached to the impact force absorbing resilient member;
- a rotation acceleration module comprising a plurality of rotatable members and communicating with the motion conversion module
- a frame accommodating the motion conversion module, rotation acceleration module and electrical energy generator
- the motion conversion module is vertically extended from a horizontal section of the frame forming a sleeve
- the sleeve is internally threaded
- At least one of the guided members is configured to move along the internally threaded sleeve when the impact force absorbing resilient member moves vertically along the sleeve due to a heel strike or up motion of the wearer's foot;
- the one or more guided members upon moving along the internally threaded sleeve, drive(s) at least one of the rotatable members of the rotation acceleration module to rotate, thereby subsequently driving the remaining rotatable members of the rotation acceleration module;
- the electrical energy generator transforms rotational energy of the rotatable members of the rotation acceleration module into electric energy to be stored in an energy storage element and/or supplied to other parts of the article of the footwear and external electronics.
- the impact force absorbing and resilient member is a spring with one end attached to a top end of the sleeve and an opposite end attached to a first guided member.
- the first guided member attached to the spring is disc-like. It includes a plurality of teeth disposed at a periphery thereof such that the first guided member is capable to move along the internally threaded sleeve.
- the first guided member is engaged with a second guided member such that when the first guided member moves along the internally threaded sleeve, the second guided member is driven to rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise.
- the second guided member is rod-like with one end attached to the first guided member and an opposite end attached to a first rotatable member of the rotation acceleration module such that when the second guided member rotates due to vertical displacement of the first guided member along the internally threaded sleeve, the first rotatable member is driven to rotate.
- the one or more rotatable members of the rotation acceleration module is/are preferably gears having the same or different size and/or number of teeth with each other, and is/are driven by rotation of the first rotatable member.
- more than one of the gears are arranged in hierarchy to minimize the size of the rotation acceleration module in the frame. At least two of the gears in different size and number of teeth form a pair of gears to interact with another pair of gears such that an initial rotational speed by the rotation of the first rotatable member is increased through the interactions among different pairs of gears in the rotation acceleration module.
- the electrical energy generator of the present device can be selected from an electromagnetic generator and is activated by the rotation of the gear that is disposed most proximally to the electrical energy generator.
- the electromagnetic generator is connected to a power management module including one or more rectifiers to convert alternating current generated by the electromagnetic generator into direct current.
- the power management module further includes voltage converter to regulate the direct current level to be output to the energy storage element, other parts of the article of footwear, and/or external electronics.
- the rotational speed of the most proximal gear to the electrical energy generator is adjustable by adjusting one or both of a helical pitch and a twist angle of the internal threads of the sleeve in the motion conversion module, and/or adjusting a frequency up-conversion ratio between each of the gears of the same pair in the rotation acceleration module.
- a second aspect of the present invention provides a power generating and gait assisting article of footwear including the device of the first aspect or any embodiments thereof described hereinafter, a power management circuit; and one or more energy storage elements.
- the footwear article of the second aspect includes a first hollow space at a heel section of the article for disposing the present device and a second hollow space in the middle of an insole of the article for disposing the power management circuit and the one or more energy storage elements.
- the footwear article is selected from boots, shoes, or high-heeled footwear.
- a third aspect of the present invention provides a method for improving energy harvesting and shock absorbing efficiencies of an article of footwear including:
- FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of the present device according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 schematically depicts the working principle of the present device and how it imparts shock absorbing, gait assisting and energy harvesting properties to an article of footwear;
- FIG. 3 schematically depicts communications between a generator, a gearbox and a spring of the present device according to certain embodiments of the present invention
- FIG. 4 schematically depicts power generation by the present device over a gait cycle when being applied to an article of footwear according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 5 shows a circuitry diagram of power management of the present device according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 6 A shows images of an article of footwear with the present device according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 6 B shows test results of different performances of the present device according to the embodiment as shown in FIG. 6 A .
- the present invention applies a unique two-stage frequency-up conversion mechanism to the integrated, walking assistive device for naturally harnessing collisional energy during the touch-down moment of an associated article of footwear during human walking in order to enhance the energy economy and gait pattern thereof together with improvement in wearing comfort.
- FIG. 1 the major components of the present device according to an exemplary embodiment are shown from an isometric view, including a generator 101 , a frame 102 , a gearbox 103 , a spring 104 , and a sleeve 105 . It should be understood that auxiliary components, detail and/or variations of the major components, and/or connections between different components of the present device may be omitted from FIG. 1 for simplicity of illustration.
- the present device as shown is embedded into a heel section of shoes, for example, within or adjacent to a cushion pad of an article of footwear.
- the sleeve 105 is connected to the cushion pad of the footwear article.
- the generator 101 is embedded into a base of the frame 102 to save a vertical space therein for accommodating other major components, in particular, the gearbox 103 which is attached on to the base of the frame 102 .
- the gearbox 103 includes a plurality of gears in connection with one or more guided members forming communication between the sleeve 105 , the gearbox 103 , and the generator 101 .
- the gearbox 103 is secured on the base of the frame 102 with an adhesive.
- a working displacement of the sleeve 105 in vertical direction is set to be about 3.5 cm in this example.
- lubricant such as grease may be applied to a space between the internal threads and the guided disc so that when the guided disc rotates around the internally threaded surface of the sleeve, the teeth of the guided disc are allowed to move more smoothly.
- the frame 102 and the sleeve 105 can be made of flexible, elastic, and lightweight materials such as resins and be fabricated by 3D printing to improve the flexibility, elasticity, and wearing comfort of the footwear article incorporated with the present device.
- the present device is embedded into a cavity of the heel section of the footwear article so not to cause any uncomfortableness to the wearer.
- the frame 102 is also configured to limit the horizontal movement of the outer profile of the sleeve 105 . Due to the materials used to fabricate the components and the number of the components to form the present device, the weight and volume thereof can be significantly reduced. In one embodiment, the weight of the present device can be reduced to about 100 g or lower. In another embodiment, the volume of the present device can be reduced to about 118 cm 3 or lower.
- FIG. 2 the schematic diagram on the left panel depicts how collisional energy is harvested by the present device in an article of footwear, for example, in a boot (on the right panel).
- FIG. 2 is a close-up isometric view of the sleeve 105 accommodating the spring 104 of the present device, where two parallel guided rods 201 are provided in the sleeve 105 to connect the gearbox 103 (not shown in FIG. 2 ) and a guided disc 204 .
- One end of the spring 104 is attached on to a surface of the guided disc 204 while an opposite end of the spring 104 is attached to a lower surface of the sleeve top 203 .
- the sleeve 105 including an upper surface of the sleeve top 203 is embedded inside an insole of the footwear article to enhance the wearing comfort.
- the guided disc 204 includes a plurality of teeth 205 at the periphery thereof so that the guided disc 204 is capable to rotate along the internal threads 202 of the sleeve 105 , thereby converting a linear reciprocating motion into rotation of the guided disc 204 along the internal threads 202 in accordance with a designated pitch and twist angle ( ⁇ ) of the sleeve 105 during a heel strike/heel up moment which triggers a vertical or substantially vertical movement of the spring 104 .
- This configuration limits the movement direction and range of the motion conversion mechanism without sacrificing normal gait pattern such as step length, width and frequency, etc.
- a power management circuit (PMC) 206 is provided in the middle of the sole of the boot 208 for receiving power (in a form of alternating current) generated by the generator 101 and convert thereof into electricity that can be ultimately stored into one or more energy storage modules 207 which is disposed under an arch section of the boot 208 .
- the PMC 206 mainly includes AC-DC converter, impedance matching circuit, and capacitors, and signal indicators, which are collectively for converting an alternating current received from the generator 101 into direct current at a proper voltage level which can be stored by the storage module(s) and/or be used directly to supply power to other parts of the footwear article and/or other electronics.
- Detailed circuitry diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the PMC is depicted in FIG. 5 and descriptions hereinafter.
- FIG. 3 the gearbox 103 and corresponding connections with the generator 101 and the motion conversion mechanism in the sleeve 105 are depicted.
- the rotation of the guided disc 204 along the internally threaded sleeve 104 due to the linear reciprocating moment exerted on the sleeve top 203 as illustrated in FIG. 2 drives guided rods 201 to rotate, with one end fixed to the guided disc 204 and an opposite end fixed to a gear plate 304 .
- Two parallel rods' design will be more stable to transmit strong torque compared with a single one.
- the gear plate 304 turns the rest of the gears ( 301 , 302 , 303 , 305 , 306 ).
- gears in this example are arranged in hierarchy and in pairs, that is, gears 301 and 302 form a pair; gears 303 and 306 form another pair; gears 304 and 305 form a third pair.
- gear 304 turns, it drives its corresponding gear 305 which is concentrically connected to a gear of a second hierarchical pair, gear 306 , such that gear 306 will also be driven, accordingly, thereby driving a corresponding gear 303 to turn, etc.
- the heel strike force exerted on the sleeve 105 is transformed into rotation through the motion conversion mechanism within the sleeve 105 , and the rotational speed of the guided member of the motion conversion mechanism is increased along this hierarchy of gears in the gearbox 103 until gear 301 which is connected to the generator 101 .
- This hierarchical arrangement of gears in the gearbox 103 can ensure a substantially full transformation of the heel strike force exerted on the sleeve top 203 by the wearer during walking into a high-speed rotation of the generator 101 , in order to result in a high power output while the normal gait pattern and wearing comfort are not sacrificed.
- Power output of the present device can be adjusted by adjusting the frequency up-conversion ratio among different pairs of gears. Relationship between the power output of the present device and frequency up-conversion ratio of different gears will be further elaborated hereinafter.
- FIG. 4 how the linear motion of heel strike is converted into energy and how the level of power output can be adjusted in the present device are schematically depicted.
- the spring 104 during the early and mid stance phase is compressed by the heel strike force exerted on the sleeve top 203 to force the attached guided disc 204 in the presence of a number of teeth 205 at its periphery to move downwards along the internal threaded line 202 .
- the guided disc 204 with the teeth 205 rotates clockwise along the internal threaded line 202 .
- the rotation of guided disc 204 drives the attached guided rods 201 and the gear 305 attached thereto to rotate in the same circular direction.
- the spring 104 disposed in the sleeve 105 also serves to absorb at least partially the impact force of the touchdown moment to protect the heel against excessive load.
- the compressed spring 104 is released while a restoring force is provided for the heel up moment, thus assisting contraction of soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. Meanwhile, the restoring force also drives the guided members (guided disc and rods) to rotate counterclockwise in order to eventually drive the generator 101 for power generation when the sleeve top returns to its initial position. Therefore, the heel strike energy is fully captured by the vertical and circular movements of the corresponding mechanical parts of the motion-energy conversation mechanism within the sleeve of the present invention during stance phase of each gait cycle while the heel section is protected against excessive load by the spring.
- the speed of rotation of the guided members within the sleeve to exert the first frequency up conversion can be adjusted by adjusting the magnitude of the pitch of the internal thread line and/or the twist angle. The smaller the magnitude of each pitch is, or the larger the twist angle is, the higher is the speed of rotation of the guided members within the sleeve.
- i 1, 2, or 3.
- the number of gears of the gearbox, hierarchical arrangement thereof, and/or the frequency up conversion ratio is/are adjustable in order to optimize the rotational speed of the most proximal gear with respect to the generator 101 .
- the generator 101 includes or is connected to one or more rectifiers for converting AC into DC current.
- the generator 101 can be one or more electromagnetic generators being rectifier circuits for AC-DC conversion.
- the generator 101 can be connected to a power management circuit (PMC), such as the PMC shown in FIG. 2 , where it includes, but not limited to, rectifiers, voltage converter, and capacitors, and signal indicators.
- PMC power management circuit
- TD1410 module shown in FIG. 5 is used to manage the DC output at a proper voltage level for the following energy storage element.
- the PMC can further include or be connected to an energy storage element such as supercapacitors and rechargeable batteries.
- the energy stored in such an energy storage element can be used to supply power to other electronics of the same footwear article or to other portable electronics including, but not limited to, smartphones, sensors, display/screen, and wireless communication modules. Since most of the circuits in the PMC do not occupy a lot of space (except some sensors/indicators), and therefore they can all be installed in the heel section of the footwear article, or simply within the frame of the present device. In a preferred embodiment, the PMC is incorporated into the frame of the present device to reduce the overall size of the device, and by which it can save cost on extra installation.
- FIG. 6 A it shows a footwear article, which is a boot 600 , with hollow heel section 601 and hollow insole 602 .
- the sleeve 105 and frame 102 of the present device are separated from the generator 101 in FIG. 6 A .
- the power management circuit (PMC) 206 and energy storage element 207 are electrically connected to the generator 101 in this example.
- the frame 102 and sleeve 105 are made of flexible, elastic, and lightweight materials, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), to reduce the overall weight and enhance the wearing comfort, and the materials selected are preferably 3D printable.
- ABS acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene
- All the major components ( 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 ) of the present device are embedded into the hollow heel section 601 while the PMC 206 and energy storage element 207 are embedded into the hollow insole 602 of the boot 600 .
- part of the frame 102 and the sleeve 203 can be visualized, while the PMC 206 and energy storage element 207 are fully embedded into the insole 602 so that they cannot be visualized from this view.
- FIG. 6 B shows different performance test results of the boot 600 incorporated with the present device.
- Shock absorbing performance of the boot 600 is verified by about 15.4% reduction in peak pressure between a normal (inactive) state and active state of the present device.
- Gait assisting performance is verified by measuring the change in average muscle activity of two main calf muscles, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, with or without the activation of the present device.
- the results (bar chart in the middle of the lower panel) suggest that the present device reduces the muscle activity of gastrocnemius and soleus muscles by about 4.95% and about 4.35%, respectively, compared to those measured under inactive state of the device.
- the present device is capable to generate a maximum voltage of about 13 V and a peak power of 3.8 Watts, provided that the pitch is 10 mm with a 45-degree twist angle, and the up conversion ratio of the gear box is 65.
- the dimension of the frame 102 of the device in this example is 55 mm (L) ⁇ 35 mm (W) ⁇ 25 mm (H), or in an total volume of about 118 cm 3 (including the volume of the frame 102 and the sleeve 105 ), and a total mass of about 101 grams.
- a subsequent measurement (results are not shown in FIG. 6 B ) on power output from a pair of the boots 600 both incorporated with the same configuration of the present device shows that the boots can generate over 7 Watts of peak power collectively.
- the structure of present invention is simple, and can be easily assembled, thus the manufacturing cost could be minimized.
- the present invention is also easy to be scaled up, thus is suitable for large-scale industrialization.
- the reasonable size and weight of the present device makes it easy to fit into substantially all types of footwear.
- Adjustable voltage output by varying different parameters of the mechanical parts of the present device also provides flexibility and simplicity for meeting different requirements and performance expectations of footwear articles.
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to an integrated device for footwear article to generate power while having gait assisting function.
- In a fast-changing and evolving manner of human lifestyle, incorporation of multi-functions into a footwear has become a trend, especially incorporating elements involving energy economy, which has drawn many attentions from users, footwear developers/manufacturers, and researchers in the relevant field. Some of them have proposed various paradigms to reduce energy expenditure such as spring-based structures or soft and elastic materials which have become a mainstream of conventional human augmented-locomotion assistant devices with energy harvesting protocols on harnessing biochemical energy during walking.
- For harvesting biochemical energy during walking, some major energy conversion mechanisms include utilizing electromagnetic, triboelectric and/or piezoelectric effect(s) of human locomotion during walking. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,970,054 provided an electromagnetic energy harvester with a displacement-amplified mechanism to harvest and also increase the power generated by an electric generator configured to be driven by a downward movement of a heel plate during a heel strike phase of walking.
- U.S. Pat. No. 8,716,877 provided a generator module having at least an elastic generator affixed to the leg shank of a wearer to harvest the energy generated from ankle joint motion. This device is limited by the ankle joint motion of the wearer in terms of change in angular motion of the ankle joint. From a different perspective, the generator affixed to the wearer limits the ankle motion and/or affects the comfort of the wearer.
- U.S. Pat. No. 9,057,361 provided a biomechanical energy harvester for harnessing energy from the motion of one or more joints with an electromagnetic effect. Several sensors were coupled in that harvester to serve as a clutch for determining the mutualistic and non-mutualistic conditions.
- For the biomechanical energy harvesters using piezoelectric effect, different configurations have been employed in the existing devices for capturing energy generated from different motions. For example, Shenck et al. (2001) used a flexible piezoelectric foil stave to harness sole-bending energy while a reinforced PZT dimorph was used to capture heel-strike energy.
- Fan et al. (2017) provided a shoe-mounted piezoelectric energy harvester having a rotor combined with a bimorph PZT cantilever beam, and permanent magnets being attached at the free ends of the beam to harness the kinetic energy associated with foot strike motions, where the bimorphs were excited by movements of a steel ball coupled to the beam along its sleeve during the foot strike motions.
- US 2006/0021261 provided a piezoelectric energy harvester within a cavity of a sole member which captures the power generated from the deformation of a curved bimorph during a touchdown moment.
- In addition, a number of studies on different energy conversation elements applied in footwear or exoskeleton show that these elements can reduce energy or metabolic cost by about 4% to 8% (Hoogkamer et al., 2017; Simpson et al., 2019; Collins et al., 2015).
- Gait assisting is another element that many people would like to have in their footwear. With such a surging market demand, a lot of wearable exoskeletons or exosuits have been recently developed with both energy harvesting and gait assisting functions, which can be generally divided into passive (for example, in US 2013/0281895, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,053,914 and 7,956,476) and active (for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,326,312, 9,918,515 and 11,044,968) mechanisms.
- In terms of reducing muscle force, U.S. Pat. No. 9,282,783 provided gait assisting shoes that can utilize parallel function of the Achilles' tendons through an integration of force-carrying mechanisms to manage forces and energies associated with dorsiflexion and plantar flexion; a sandal-like sole made of a resilient, elastic, springy material was provided in U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,358, which aids in the natural walking action by alternately compressing and releasing, adding energy to the step, thereby aiding walking while wearing ski boots; a similar design was employed in a walking support of a boot in US 2011/0302808, where soft materials were used to enhance wearer's comfort.
- However, none of those prior arts has a simple, integrated design to couple various profiles including shock absorbing, energy harvesting and gait assisting into a single device. Moreover, none of them could generate sufficient power for high energy demand electronics, but only generated power of less than one Watt since most of them are limited by the size, weight and/or structure of the device. Some of them require attachment or affixation to certain part of one or both limbs that may limit the motion of the corresponding joint(s) and affect normal gait pattern.
- Therefore, there is a need for an integrated device including all the afore-mentioned features/functions while the disadvantages and problems described above in the prior arts could be at least diminished or substantially eliminated.
- Accordingly, provided herein is a simple, lightweight, and integrated walking assistive device for improving energy economy, shock absorption, wearing comfort of an article of footwear while maintaining normal gait pattern during human locomotion.
- In a first aspect, the prevent invention provides a device including:
- a motion conversion module including an impact force absorbing and resilient member; and one or more guided members being attached to the impact force absorbing resilient member;
- a rotation acceleration module comprising a plurality of rotatable members and communicating with the motion conversion module;
- an electrical energy generator communicating with the rotation acceleration module; and
- a frame accommodating the motion conversion module, rotation acceleration module and electrical energy generator,
- wherein the motion conversion module is vertically extended from a horizontal section of the frame forming a sleeve,
- the sleeve is internally threaded;
- at least one of the guided members is configured to move along the internally threaded sleeve when the impact force absorbing resilient member moves vertically along the sleeve due to a heel strike or up motion of the wearer's foot;
- the one or more guided members, upon moving along the internally threaded sleeve, drive(s) at least one of the rotatable members of the rotation acceleration module to rotate, thereby subsequently driving the remaining rotatable members of the rotation acceleration module;
- the electrical energy generator transforms rotational energy of the rotatable members of the rotation acceleration module into electric energy to be stored in an energy storage element and/or supplied to other parts of the article of the footwear and external electronics.
- In one embodiment, the impact force absorbing and resilient member is a spring with one end attached to a top end of the sleeve and an opposite end attached to a first guided member.
- In one embodiment, the first guided member attached to the spring is disc-like. It includes a plurality of teeth disposed at a periphery thereof such that the first guided member is capable to move along the internally threaded sleeve.
- In an exemplary embodiment, the first guided member is engaged with a second guided member such that when the first guided member moves along the internally threaded sleeve, the second guided member is driven to rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise.
- In one embodiment, the second guided member is rod-like with one end attached to the first guided member and an opposite end attached to a first rotatable member of the rotation acceleration module such that when the second guided member rotates due to vertical displacement of the first guided member along the internally threaded sleeve, the first rotatable member is driven to rotate.
- In the first aspect, the one or more rotatable members of the rotation acceleration module is/are preferably gears having the same or different size and/or number of teeth with each other, and is/are driven by rotation of the first rotatable member.
- In one embodiment, more than one of the gears are arranged in hierarchy to minimize the size of the rotation acceleration module in the frame. At least two of the gears in different size and number of teeth form a pair of gears to interact with another pair of gears such that an initial rotational speed by the rotation of the first rotatable member is increased through the interactions among different pairs of gears in the rotation acceleration module.
- The electrical energy generator of the present device can be selected from an electromagnetic generator and is activated by the rotation of the gear that is disposed most proximally to the electrical energy generator.
- In one embodiment, the electromagnetic generator is connected to a power management module including one or more rectifiers to convert alternating current generated by the electromagnetic generator into direct current.
- The power management module further includes voltage converter to regulate the direct current level to be output to the energy storage element, other parts of the article of footwear, and/or external electronics.
- The rotational speed of the most proximal gear to the electrical energy generator is adjustable by adjusting one or both of a helical pitch and a twist angle of the internal threads of the sleeve in the motion conversion module, and/or adjusting a frequency up-conversion ratio between each of the gears of the same pair in the rotation acceleration module.
- A second aspect of the present invention provides a power generating and gait assisting article of footwear including the device of the first aspect or any embodiments thereof described hereinafter, a power management circuit; and one or more energy storage elements.
- In an exemplary embodiment, the footwear article of the second aspect includes a first hollow space at a heel section of the article for disposing the present device and a second hollow space in the middle of an insole of the article for disposing the power management circuit and the one or more energy storage elements.
- The footwear article is selected from boots, shoes, or high-heeled footwear.
- A third aspect of the present invention provides a method for improving energy harvesting and shock absorbing efficiencies of an article of footwear including:
- providing a first hollow space at a heel section and a second hollow space in the middle of an insole of the article of footwear;
- incorporating the device of the first aspect or described hereinafter into the first hollow space; and
- incorporating a power management circuit and one or more energy storage elements into the second hollow space.
- There is also provided in the present invention a power generating and gait assisting article of footwear fabricated according to the method of the third aspect or described hereinafter.
- This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects of the present invention are disclosed as illustrated by the embodiments hereinafter.
- The appended drawings, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements, contain figures of certain embodiments to further illustrate and clarify the above and other aspects, advantages and features of the present invention. It will be appreciated that these drawings depict embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
-
FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of the present device according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 schematically depicts the working principle of the present device and how it imparts shock absorbing, gait assisting and energy harvesting properties to an article of footwear; -
FIG. 3 schematically depicts communications between a generator, a gearbox and a spring of the present device according to certain embodiments of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 schematically depicts power generation by the present device over a gait cycle when being applied to an article of footwear according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 5 shows a circuitry diagram of power management of the present device according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 6A shows images of an article of footwear with the present device according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 6B shows test results of different performances of the present device according to the embodiment as shown inFIG. 6A . - Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements/features shown in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been depicted to scale.
- It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications, including additions and/or substitutions, may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Specific details may be omitted so as not to obscure the invention; however, the disclosure is written to enable one skilled in the art to practice the teachings herein without undue experimentation.
- The present invention applies a unique two-stage frequency-up conversion mechanism to the integrated, walking assistive device for naturally harnessing collisional energy during the touch-down moment of an associated article of footwear during human walking in order to enhance the energy economy and gait pattern thereof together with improvement in wearing comfort.
- Turning into
FIG. 1 , the major components of the present device according to an exemplary embodiment are shown from an isometric view, including agenerator 101, aframe 102, agearbox 103, aspring 104, and asleeve 105. It should be understood that auxiliary components, detail and/or variations of the major components, and/or connections between different components of the present device may be omitted fromFIG. 1 for simplicity of illustration. - In
FIG. 1 , the present device as shown is embedded into a heel section of shoes, for example, within or adjacent to a cushion pad of an article of footwear. Thesleeve 105 is connected to the cushion pad of the footwear article. Thegenerator 101 is embedded into a base of theframe 102 to save a vertical space therein for accommodating other major components, in particular, thegearbox 103 which is attached on to the base of theframe 102. Thegearbox 103 includes a plurality of gears in connection with one or more guided members forming communication between thesleeve 105, thegearbox 103, and thegenerator 101. - In this example, the
gearbox 103 is secured on the base of theframe 102 with an adhesive. However, it is possible to secure thegearbox 103 on the base of theframe 102 with other available means/methods. To balance between wearing comfort and power output performance, a working displacement of thesleeve 105 in vertical direction is set to be about 3.5 cm in this example. - To minimize frictional loss and wear arising from an engagement between the internal threads of the
sleeve 105 and a guided disc with teeth (not shown inFIG. 1 ) driven by gears of thegearbox 103, lubricant such as grease may be applied to a space between the internal threads and the guided disc so that when the guided disc rotates around the internally threaded surface of the sleeve, the teeth of the guided disc are allowed to move more smoothly. - In certain embodiments, the
frame 102 and thesleeve 105 can be made of flexible, elastic, and lightweight materials such as resins and be fabricated by 3D printing to improve the flexibility, elasticity, and wearing comfort of the footwear article incorporated with the present device. The present device is embedded into a cavity of the heel section of the footwear article so not to cause any uncomfortableness to the wearer. Theframe 102 is also configured to limit the horizontal movement of the outer profile of thesleeve 105. Due to the materials used to fabricate the components and the number of the components to form the present device, the weight and volume thereof can be significantly reduced. In one embodiment, the weight of the present device can be reduced to about 100 g or lower. In another embodiment, the volume of the present device can be reduced to about 118 cm3 or lower. - Turning into
FIG. 2 , the schematic diagram on the left panel depicts how collisional energy is harvested by the present device in an article of footwear, for example, in a boot (on the right panel). As shown on the left panel ofFIG. 2 is a close-up isometric view of thesleeve 105 accommodating thespring 104 of the present device, where two parallel guidedrods 201 are provided in thesleeve 105 to connect the gearbox 103 (not shown inFIG. 2 ) and a guideddisc 204. One end of thespring 104 is attached on to a surface of the guideddisc 204 while an opposite end of thespring 104 is attached to a lower surface of thesleeve top 203. Thesleeve 105 including an upper surface of thesleeve top 203 is embedded inside an insole of the footwear article to enhance the wearing comfort. The guideddisc 204 includes a plurality ofteeth 205 at the periphery thereof so that the guideddisc 204 is capable to rotate along theinternal threads 202 of thesleeve 105, thereby converting a linear reciprocating motion into rotation of the guideddisc 204 along theinternal threads 202 in accordance with a designated pitch and twist angle (θ) of thesleeve 105 during a heel strike/heel up moment which triggers a vertical or substantially vertical movement of thespring 104. This configuration limits the movement direction and range of the motion conversion mechanism without sacrificing normal gait pattern such as step length, width and frequency, etc. - Provided on the right panel of
FIG. 2 is an exemplary embodiment of a footwear article, for example, a boot, incorporated with the present device and illustration of how the linear reciprocating motion is transformed into electric current and then stored in the footwear article. In that exemplary embodiment, a power management circuit (PMC) 206 is provided in the middle of the sole of theboot 208 for receiving power (in a form of alternating current) generated by thegenerator 101 and convert thereof into electricity that can be ultimately stored into one or moreenergy storage modules 207 which is disposed under an arch section of theboot 208. ThePMC 206 mainly includes AC-DC converter, impedance matching circuit, and capacitors, and signal indicators, which are collectively for converting an alternating current received from thegenerator 101 into direct current at a proper voltage level which can be stored by the storage module(s) and/or be used directly to supply power to other parts of the footwear article and/or other electronics. Detailed circuitry diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the PMC is depicted inFIG. 5 and descriptions hereinafter. - Turning into
FIG. 3 , thegearbox 103 and corresponding connections with thegenerator 101 and the motion conversion mechanism in thesleeve 105 are depicted. The rotation of the guideddisc 204 along the internally threadedsleeve 104 due to the linear reciprocating moment exerted on thesleeve top 203 as illustrated inFIG. 2 drives guidedrods 201 to rotate, with one end fixed to the guideddisc 204 and an opposite end fixed to agear plate 304. Two parallel rods' design will be more stable to transmit strong torque compared with a single one. Thegear plate 304 turns the rest of the gears (301, 302, 303, 305, 306). In order to reduce the size of thegearbox 103, the gears in this example are arranged in hierarchy and in pairs, that is, gears 301 and 302 form a pair; gears 303 and 306 form another pair; gears 304 and 305 form a third pair. Whengear 304 turns, it drives itscorresponding gear 305 which is concentrically connected to a gear of a second hierarchical pair,gear 306, such thatgear 306 will also be driven, accordingly, thereby driving acorresponding gear 303 to turn, etc. Thus, the heel strike force exerted on thesleeve 105 is transformed into rotation through the motion conversion mechanism within thesleeve 105, and the rotational speed of the guided member of the motion conversion mechanism is increased along this hierarchy of gears in thegearbox 103 untilgear 301 which is connected to thegenerator 101. This hierarchical arrangement of gears in thegearbox 103 can ensure a substantially full transformation of the heel strike force exerted on thesleeve top 203 by the wearer during walking into a high-speed rotation of thegenerator 101, in order to result in a high power output while the normal gait pattern and wearing comfort are not sacrificed. Power output of the present device can be adjusted by adjusting the frequency up-conversion ratio among different pairs of gears. Relationship between the power output of the present device and frequency up-conversion ratio of different gears will be further elaborated hereinafter. - Turning into
FIG. 4 , how the linear motion of heel strike is converted into energy and how the level of power output can be adjusted in the present device are schematically depicted. Taking one gait cycle as an example, thespring 104 during the early and mid stance phase is compressed by the heel strike force exerted on thesleeve top 203 to force the attached guideddisc 204 in the presence of a number ofteeth 205 at its periphery to move downwards along the internal threadedline 202. In this example, the guideddisc 204 with theteeth 205 rotates clockwise along the internal threadedline 202. The rotation of guideddisc 204 drives the attached guidedrods 201 and thegear 305 attached thereto to rotate in the same circular direction. Once thegear 305 is driven to rotate, thecorresponding gear 304 of the same pair and other lower hierarchical pairs of gears in thegearbox 103 will be driven to rotate in order to eventually drive thegenerator 101. Thespring 104 disposed in thesleeve 105 also serves to absorb at least partially the impact force of the touchdown moment to protect the heel against excessive load. - During the terminal stance phase, the
compressed spring 104 is released while a restoring force is provided for the heel up moment, thus assisting contraction of soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. Meanwhile, the restoring force also drives the guided members (guided disc and rods) to rotate counterclockwise in order to eventually drive thegenerator 101 for power generation when the sleeve top returns to its initial position. Therefore, the heel strike energy is fully captured by the vertical and circular movements of the corresponding mechanical parts of the motion-energy conversation mechanism within the sleeve of the present invention during stance phase of each gait cycle while the heel section is protected against excessive load by the spring. - The speed of rotation of the guided members within the sleeve to exert the first frequency up conversion can be adjusted by adjusting the magnitude of the pitch of the internal thread line and/or the twist angle. The smaller the magnitude of each pitch is, or the larger the twist angle is, the higher is the speed of rotation of the guided members within the sleeve.
- During each gait cycle, the speed of the initial rotation of the most proximal gear to the guided rods,
gear 305, is increased by the gears of thegearbox 103 before thegenerator 101 is driven. The afore-mentioned hierarchical arrangement of gears enables a second frequency up conversion. InFIG. 4 , moduli and the number of teeth of each pair of gears (Z11, Z12; Z21, Z22; Z31, Z32) can be adjusted to optimize the final speed of rotation of the most proximal gear,gear 301, to thegenerator 101. The frequency up conversion ratio (K) for each pair of gears of thegearbox 103 is represented by the following equation: -
- In this example, i=1, 2, or 3.
- It should be understood that the number of gears of the gearbox, hierarchical arrangement thereof, and/or the frequency up conversion ratio is/are adjustable in order to optimize the rotational speed of the most proximal gear with respect to the
generator 101. - Turning into
FIG. 5 , thegenerator 101 includes or is connected to one or more rectifiers for converting AC into DC current. Thegenerator 101 can be one or more electromagnetic generators being rectifier circuits for AC-DC conversion. Thegenerator 101 can be connected to a power management circuit (PMC), such as the PMC shown inFIG. 2 , where it includes, but not limited to, rectifiers, voltage converter, and capacitors, and signal indicators. For example, TD1410 module shown inFIG. 5 is used to manage the DC output at a proper voltage level for the following energy storage element. The PMC can further include or be connected to an energy storage element such as supercapacitors and rechargeable batteries. The energy stored in such an energy storage element can be used to supply power to other electronics of the same footwear article or to other portable electronics including, but not limited to, smartphones, sensors, display/screen, and wireless communication modules. Since most of the circuits in the PMC do not occupy a lot of space (except some sensors/indicators), and therefore they can all be installed in the heel section of the footwear article, or simply within the frame of the present device. In a preferred embodiment, the PMC is incorporated into the frame of the present device to reduce the overall size of the device, and by which it can save cost on extra installation. - Turning into
FIG. 6A , it shows a footwear article, which is aboot 600, withhollow heel section 601 andhollow insole 602. For simplicity of illustration, thesleeve 105 and frame 102 of the present device are separated from thegenerator 101 inFIG. 6A . The power management circuit (PMC) 206 andenergy storage element 207 are electrically connected to thegenerator 101 in this example. In an exemplary embodiment, theframe 102 andsleeve 105 are made of flexible, elastic, and lightweight materials, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), to reduce the overall weight and enhance the wearing comfort, and the materials selected are preferably 3D printable. All the major components (101, 102, 103, 104, 105) of the present device are embedded into thehollow heel section 601 while thePMC 206 andenergy storage element 207 are embedded into thehollow insole 602 of theboot 600. From a bottom view of theboot 600, part of theframe 102 and thesleeve 203 can be visualized, while thePMC 206 andenergy storage element 207 are fully embedded into theinsole 602 so that they cannot be visualized from this view. -
FIG. 6B shows different performance test results of theboot 600 incorporated with the present device. Shock absorbing performance of theboot 600 is verified by about 15.4% reduction in peak pressure between a normal (inactive) state and active state of the present device. Gait assisting performance is verified by measuring the change in average muscle activity of two main calf muscles, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, with or without the activation of the present device. The results (bar chart in the middle of the lower panel) suggest that the present device reduces the muscle activity of gastrocnemius and soleus muscles by about 4.95% and about 4.35%, respectively, compared to those measured under inactive state of the device. In terms of the energy harvesting performance, under excitation by stride frequency of about 1.1 Hz, the present device is capable to generate a maximum voltage of about 13 V and a peak power of 3.8 Watts, provided that the pitch is 10 mm with a 45-degree twist angle, and the up conversion ratio of the gear box is 65. The dimension of theframe 102 of the device in this example is 55 mm (L)×35 mm (W)×25 mm (H), or in an total volume of about 118 cm3 (including the volume of theframe 102 and the sleeve 105), and a total mass of about 101 grams. A subsequent measurement (results are not shown inFIG. 6B ) on power output from a pair of theboots 600 both incorporated with the same configuration of the present device shows that the boots can generate over 7 Watts of peak power collectively. - Although the invention has been described in terms of certain embodiments, other embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is intended to be defined only by the claims which follow.
- The structure of present invention is simple, and can be easily assembled, thus the manufacturing cost could be minimized. The present invention is also easy to be scaled up, thus is suitable for large-scale industrialization. The reasonable size and weight of the present device makes it easy to fit into substantially all types of footwear. Adjustable voltage output by varying different parameters of the mechanical parts of the present device also provides flexibility and simplicity for meeting different requirements and performance expectations of footwear articles.
Claims (17)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US17/648,197 US20230225448A1 (en) | 2022-01-18 | 2022-01-18 | Power Generating and Gait Assisting Footwear Article |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US17/648,197 US20230225448A1 (en) | 2022-01-18 | 2022-01-18 | Power Generating and Gait Assisting Footwear Article |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20230225448A1 true US20230225448A1 (en) | 2023-07-20 |
Family
ID=87162892
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US17/648,197 Pending US20230225448A1 (en) | 2022-01-18 | 2022-01-18 | Power Generating and Gait Assisting Footwear Article |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20230225448A1 (en) |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6281594B1 (en) * | 1999-07-26 | 2001-08-28 | Ivan Marijan Sarich | Human powered electrical generation system |
US8013463B2 (en) * | 2007-10-08 | 2011-09-06 | Preston Joshua S | Method and apparatus for generating electricity while a user is moving |
US20150088057A1 (en) * | 2013-01-22 | 2015-03-26 | Bo Su | Disease testing and therapeutic device and remote monitoring shoes |
US9498017B2 (en) * | 2013-10-04 | 2016-11-22 | Che Wei Lin | Power generation device and shoe equipment having power generation device |
-
2022
- 2022-01-18 US US17/648,197 patent/US20230225448A1/en active Pending
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6281594B1 (en) * | 1999-07-26 | 2001-08-28 | Ivan Marijan Sarich | Human powered electrical generation system |
US8013463B2 (en) * | 2007-10-08 | 2011-09-06 | Preston Joshua S | Method and apparatus for generating electricity while a user is moving |
US20150088057A1 (en) * | 2013-01-22 | 2015-03-26 | Bo Su | Disease testing and therapeutic device and remote monitoring shoes |
US10071201B2 (en) * | 2013-01-22 | 2018-09-11 | Bo Su | Disease testing and therapeutic device and remote monitoring shoes |
US9498017B2 (en) * | 2013-10-04 | 2016-11-22 | Che Wei Lin | Power generation device and shoe equipment having power generation device |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
Khalid et al. | A review of human-powered energy harvesting for smart electronics: recent progress and challenges | |
Zhou et al. | A review on heat and mechanical energy harvesting from human–Principles, prototypes and perspectives | |
Cai et al. | A smart harvester for capturing energy from human ankle dorsiflexion with reduced user effort | |
US8235869B2 (en) | Device for generating power from a locomotion energy associated with leg muscles acting across a joint | |
US7445606B2 (en) | Methods and devices for selective exercising of muscles | |
US8579771B2 (en) | Walk-assist devices and methods | |
CA2676025C (en) | Orthopedic device | |
Romero et al. | Energy scavenging sources for biomedical sensors | |
US10543109B2 (en) | Prosthetic device and method with compliant linking member and actuating linking member | |
Kymissis et al. | Parasitic power harvesting in shoes | |
Li et al. | Development of a biomechanical energy harvester | |
US8299634B2 (en) | Methods and apparatus for harvesting biomechanical energy | |
US20060046910A1 (en) | Methods and devices for reducing stance energy for rehabilitation and to enhance physical performance | |
US20110278857A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for harvesting energy from ankle motion | |
CN113452284B (en) | Energy harvester and wearable equipment | |
CN112796966A (en) | Easy-to-wear flexible joint motion generator | |
Xu et al. | Force analysis and energy harvesting for innovative multi-functional shoes | |
Xia et al. | “Controlled slip” energy harvesting while walking | |
JPH09275688A (en) | Organism energy storing device | |
US20230225448A1 (en) | Power Generating and Gait Assisting Footwear Article | |
JP2004096980A (en) | Portable walking generator | |
Donelan et al. | Biomechanical energy harvesting | |
US20140259798A1 (en) | Systems and Methods for Gravitational Load Support | |
Zhu et al. | An electromagnetic in-shoe energy harvester using wave springs | |
Slade | Bio-kinetic energy harvesting using electroactive polymers |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CITY UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, CHINA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:YANG, ZHENGBAO;PAN, QIQI;REEL/FRAME:058675/0980 Effective date: 20220113 |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: NON FINAL ACTION MAILED |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: RESPONSE TO NON-FINAL OFFICE ACTION ENTERED AND FORWARDED TO EXAMINER |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: NOTICE OF ALLOWANCE MAILED -- APPLICATION RECEIVED IN OFFICE OF PUBLICATIONS |
|
ZAAB | Notice of allowance mailed |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: MN/=. |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: NOTICE OF ALLOWANCE MAILED -- APPLICATION RECEIVED IN OFFICE OF PUBLICATIONS |